RFA Returns to Colorado In September

Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that the RFA is headed back to Colorado in September. The main event of RFA 43 will feature a battle for the vacant RFA welterweight title. Brian “The Mantis” Camozzi will look to keep the title in Colorado when he battles Nick “The Phoenix” Barnes. RFA 43 – Camozzi vs. Barnes will take place Friday, September 9th at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

“RFA loves coming to Colorado,” stated Soares. “Our welterweight division has a long and exciting history in the state. On Friday, September 9th, Brian Camozzi and Nick Barnes will continue that tradition. I am looking forward to their title fight at RFA 43.”

Tickets for RFA 43 – Camozzi vs. Barnes will be available for purchase at 10:00 am Friday July 15th through AltitudeTickets.com. You can also support your favorite fighter by purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com/RFA. Tickets to RFA 34 start at just $30. VIP tables are available by calling 303-521-0966.

Camozzi (6-2), the younger brother of UFC star Chris Camozzi, was quick to let the world know that their are two world class fighters in the family when he made his RFA debut in January. “The Mantis” became the first man to finish Tyler Milner and he did so in 80 seconds at RFA 34. Camozzi then kicked off the main card of one of the most stacked cards of the year in April. Camozzi proceeded to showcase his dynamic striking prowess with UFC President Dana White sitting cageside at RFA 37. Camozzi knocked out Kenn Glenn with a flying knee that made White, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, and current UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler jump to their feet in excitement. Camozzi now returns home to Colorado looking for championship gold.

Barnes (11-1) will be the man looking to spoil Camozzi’s homecoming party. “The Phoenix” rose to the top of the RFA welterweight division last month with a dominant Unanimous Decision victory over dangerous submission specialist Jose Diaz at RFA 38. Barnes is a resident of southern California, but he will be returning home to the Rocky Mountain region as he is a native of Rock Springs, Wyoming. UFC President Dana White was also sitting cageside for Barnes’ last fight, which gives him firsthand knowledge on the skills that both men will be bringing to this title fight. It is safe to say that this bout will be monitored closely by influential people with added interest in September.

The co-main event of RFA 43 will feature a showdown between two of the RFA’s most promising middleweight prospects. Adam Stroup (10-3) is a homegrown talent from Denver that will be looking to put on a show for his hometown crowd in the Mile High City. The regional champion will look to position himself for an eventual RFA title shot with a win over a former two-time RFA title challenger. That would come in the form of Gabriel “Zangief” Checco (9-2). The Brazilian powerhouse has two highlight reel finishes to his credit in the RFA. The first was a blistering 74-second knockout of Joseph Henle at RFA 23 and the second was a beautiful Triangle-Armbar submission of Mike Jasper at RFA 31. The BJJ black belt now heads to enemy territory to face Stroup in a high-stakes middleweight match up.

The featured bantamweight bout at RFA 43 will feature two wildly popular prospects that have endeared themselves to the MMA universe for two different, but equally impressive reasons. Boston “Boom Boom” Salmon (5-0) has fought his entire career for the RFA, he is currently tied for the most wins in RFA history, and he has won four of those bouts with devastating knockouts. The Hawaiian fighter, who trains in Las Vegas, has also become a local favorite in Colorado by winning three of his bouts in the Mile High City. He will now return to the Rocky Mountains looking to retain his perfect record and exact a little revenge on the man who upset his teammate last fall in Las Vegas.

That would be Colorado’s own Zac “The Anointed Warrior” Riley (4-3), who upset Salmon’s previously undefeated Hawaiian teammate Shai Lindsey in a bout that Riley took on 48 hours’ notice at RFA 31. Riley followed up his 59-second Triangle Choke win over Lindsey with an even more impressive win over the heavily favored Hugo “Wolverine” Viana in January. Viana was a six-time UFC vet and semi-finalist on the first season of the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Viana entered the bout with Riley as a staggering 20 to 1 favorite. What happened inside the cage at RFA 34 would shock the world. This was not the result of a lucky punch or quick submission either. Riley battered the heavy favorite en route to a dominant Unanimous Decision. Zac Riley (+1000) over Hugo Viana (-2000) is currently the second biggest upset victory in MMA history. Riley now looks to show the world that history likes to repeat itself when he steps inside the cage as an underdog.

The full RFA 43 fight card and further information regarding this event will be announced soon. RFA 43 will be the promotion’s eighth event to take place in the state of Colorado and the second RFA event to be held in the “Centennial State” this year. The entire main card of RFA 43 – Camozzi vs. Barnes will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, September 9th.

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Stacey is co-owner of The MMA Corner and serves as web developer, editor (as needed), and handles all sales & marketing responsibilities. She has been a fan of the sport since 2005, and is passionate about the positive promotion of all MMA athletes.